first-time house buyers

FIRST-TIME house buyers with a family income of less than RM3,000 per month need not pay the 10% down payment under the My First House Scheme.

The 10% down payment will be guaranteed by Cagamas Bhd for houses priced below RM220,000. This will allow the first-time buyers to obtain 100% loan.

They will also be given stamp duty exemption of 50% on instruments of transfer on a house not exceeding RM350,000.The Government also proposed a stamp duty exemption of 50% for loan agreement instruments to finance first-time purchasers.

There will also be a housing assistance programme with an allocation of RM300mil for the construction and repair of some 12,000 houses nationwide – particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.For estate workers, the Government will help them own houses under a RM50mil housing sponsorship scheme.

The scheme is open to all Malaysian estate workers to assist them in obtaining housing loans with a maximum of RM60,000 for the purchase of low-cost houses at 4% interest, and a repayment period of up to 40 years, which can be extended to the second generation.For government servants, the goodies include an increase in the maximum loan eligibility from RM360,000 to RM450,000 effective Jan 1.

Fomca secretary-general Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said these moves would help first-time purchasers get housing loans, but failed to tackle the core issue of house prices which had skyrocketed.

Tips for first-time house buyers

For first-time house buyers, scouring the market for a suitable property can be exhilarating but it can also be frustrating if you don’t find “the one” or you do but it comes with a bust-your-budget price tag.

There are a few factors to consider in the pursuit of buying your first dream house. Firstly, a prospective house buyer should ascertain how much upfront money he or she can fork out. There are heavy upfront costs depending on what you buy, including transfer cost, legal fees and so forth.

Secondly, the prospective buyer needs to check with the bank on the amount of loan that can be secured based on the income level. At the same time, try to have savings amounting to at least three to six months of loan instalments plus household expenses as reserve fund, in case of an emergency.

In short, if you want to buy a house, you need to figure out your affordability – how much you can afford. In assessing your repayment capability, the financial institution would also take into account your other debt repayments such as car loan, personal loan and credit cards. The higher the margin, the higher you will have to pay per installment.